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Updated: September 13, 2025
"Don't you know me, sergeant-major?" asked the captain. Heimert smiled at him, and pointed to the little horses. "I ask you, Sergeant-major Heimert, don't you know your captain?" demanded Wegstetten once more. The sergeant-major shook his head, grinning.
Wegstetten turned to the subaltern, who stood stupidly looking on, and said, "Well, Lieutenant Landsberg, you may take over the command again now." Truchsess, the brewer, as No. 4 of gun six, brought out the shrapnel very gingerly. How easily such stuff as that might go off! The old hands had gruesome tales to tell of accidents that had happened during gun-practice.
I am just going over to headquarters, and you can have the money and the books for me when I return." Heppner hardly had the strength to reply with the usual "Very good, sir." More than a hundred marks was missing from the box. Time pressed; Wegstetten might be back again in half an hour. He went to find Heimert. Heimert was no friend to him, he knew; but he had always been a good comrade.
Colonel von Falkenhein, on his big chestnut, was stationed near by. He had been watching the target through his field-glasses, and a scarcely audible exclamation had escaped him as he saw the splinters flying about through the smoke. Turning to the battery he called out a short "Bravo, gun-layer!" Wegstetten, who had dismounted near him, smiled.
Furthermore, Frau Kauerhof's white shoes advertised the fact that her feet were enormous. This the ladies decided with absolute unanimity; and they begged Frau Wegstetten, the highest in rank among the women tennis-players, to give her a hint. That lady shrank from the commission.
He had now got his foot on the ladder of military distinction, but he felt no special elation at the fact. What signified this little piece of promotion in a career which had now no attraction for him? Wegstetten had arranged that he should at once begin doing some of the work of a corporal; but this, too, had its inconvenient side.
Duties which before had been a burden to him, which he had, besides, despised, he now performed willingly and zealously. If now Wegstetten inquired about him, Corporal Wiegandt always answered, "He could not be doing better, sir." The captain took an opportunity of praising him; and when he had finished, Frielinghausen, his face quite red with pride and joy, remained standing before him.
You are mad yourself, man!" was the captain's reply; and he went in person to the sergeant-major's quarters. Heimert was sitting at the table, his little wooden guns and horsemen before him. With smiling looks he was drilling them, giving the words of command in a soft voice. He did not seem to recognise the commander of his battery, but gazed stupidly at Wegstetten when he spoke to him.
The colonel was seen slowly approaching, accompanied by Major Schrader on one side, and by Captain von Wegstetten on the other. Brettschneider hastened towards them to report that the battery was in position. The colonel received his announcement graciously. "Let the men stand at ease," he commanded. And when Brettschneider had called out the order, he returned to his place to begin the parade.
Wegstetten sauntered along the sandy road that led from the riding-school to the barracks. Now and then he stopped to switch off the dust scattered over him by the galloping hoofs. Now and then he flung an oath or so at the riders, but on the whole he was contented enough. It could not be gainsaid, Heppner was the man for him.
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